SMT Mexico – Update #5

Week five for Equipo Mexico was full of unexpected surprises and lots of new experiences. We arrived to the first ever divisional music camp near Teotihuacan. We were part of the staff for the week as Greg assisted in beginner’s band, Johanna taught piano, and Shannon taught beginner’s timbrels and dance class. Captains Santana and their daughter Kenia were also special guests for the week, who came from Florida, and the camp coordinators were Eskil and Cata from Chile. Ezequiel and Fernando from the children’s home in Mexico City joined us once again, as well.

Most days consisted of waking up at 6:45 and eating breakfast at 8. Following that, we would have bible study, theory, united choir, snack, and music classes (choir, timbrels, or band). After lunch we would have music classes again, free time, snack time, electives, more music classes, and then dinner. On Wednesday the whole camp took a trip to the Pyramids built by Mesoamericans from 100 BC to 250 AD. We were privileged to climb the Pyramid of the Sun and see the beautiful scenery around us. The evening programs varied from day to day, but we were in charge of the gala/talent night and also planned the campfire alongside Kenia. The gala night was a success with the help of the staff and of course, seeing the kids all dressed up and sharing their talents was a blast. Greg and Johanna gave a lovely rendition of ‘A Whole New World’ from the Disney classic, Aladdin. For the campfire, we introduced s’mores and camp songs to the campers.

We also had officers of the day, and one of our favorite days was when it was Greg’s turn. Whenever he prayed in Spanish, everyone would cheer for him, as his morning prayer went something like this: “Gracias Señor por la comida…Amen” (Thank you Lord for the food…Amen).

The final concert was held on Saturday. It was about 3 hours long, but we had lots of fun worshipping together and watching all the performances. We learned many new songs in Spanish and the team was also asked to sing a song for the program.

Our time at music camp was packed with back to back classes, but we still had time to make new friends. Having a diverse group of staff members allowed us to learn a lot about The Salvation Army in different cultural settings. Each week we have been able to welcome new people into our group, and this week we were beyond blessed to have Kenia, Cata, and Eskil alongside us. When we weren’t too busy working, we made time to get to know each other, to form closer relationships with one another, and to worship together. Greg was asked many times to play with the band and Shannon was able to sing with Kenia for one of the meetings.

Witnessing the passion each kid has for serving the Lord and for worshipping through music is definitely an inspiration and a testament to how hard the officers and leaders of Mexico work to teach them about God. We loved every second of our time at music camp. Seeing some familiar faces was also special for us and helped us felt at home. But that also meant that saying goodbye was even harder.

This week we will be in Cuernavaca, and as our time in Mexico is nearing its conclusion, we ask for prayer that we may give all we have to the kids at the Children’s Home and to prepare our hearts for the end.